Machine for forming louvered fins for radiator cores



J ne 15, 1948. P, DANIEL 2,443,377

MACHINE FOR FORMING LOUVERED FINS FOR -RAD IATOR CORES Filed Sept. 4, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 l\ N Q 3 P ,2 O I 00 z v- 3; i

x;- n I m n D E June 15, 1948. P. R. DANIEL 2,443,377

MACHINE FOR FORMING LOUVERED FINS FOR RADIATOR COREs Filed Sept. 4, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 15, 1948. P. R. DANIEL MACHINE FOR FORMING LOUVERED FINS FOR RADIATOR CORES Filed Sept. 4, 1945 7 Sheets-Shet 3 M 8W2 g m/ June 15, 1948. P. R. DANIEL 2,443,377

MACHINE FOR FORMING LOUVERED FINS FOR RADIATOR CORES Filed Sept. 4, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 15, I .P DANIEL MACHINE FOR FORMING LOUVERED FINS FOR RADIATOR CORES I Fiid Sept. 4, 1945 L 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 [V WQIZ June 15, 1948. P R. DANIEL 2,443,377

MACHINE FOR FORMING LOUVERED FINS FOR RADIATOR CORES Filed Sept. 4, 1945 I 'r'sheeis-sneet v 4 I 77 /o a 74 in 76 F7 .8. @IYWW Patented June 15, 1948 UNITED STATES PATISJINIT OFFICE IWACHIN E FOR FORMING LOUVERED FINS FOR RADIATOR C(IRES Palo R. Daniel, Houston, Tex

Application September 4, 1945, SerialNo. 614,201

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for forming louvered fins for radiator cores.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described whereby a sheet of metal, or other suitable material, may be louvered and formed into flutes, or folds, and thus shaped to form the fins to be incorporated into a radiator core between the water circulating tubes thereof to form the air channels through the radiator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which is readily adjustable to take sheets of material which may vary in width.

The invention also embodies a novel assembly of rollers for forming the louvers in the sheet material and for feeding said sheet to the shaper in a novel manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of the character described, a novel shaper for forming the louvered sheet into flutes, or folds.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figurel is a side view of the complete machine.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation shown partly in section.

Figure 4 is a front elevation showing the delivery chute removed.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, side elevation, in section.

Figure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view taken on the line56 of Figure 2.

Figure '7 is an elevational view, partly in section, of one of the mating rollers for forming the louvers.

Figure 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, sectional View taken on the line 6-B of Figure 2 showing a detail of the shaper.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the louvered sheet shown partly fluted, or folded, into a finished fin.

Figure 10 is an edge view thereof.

' Figure 11 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the louvered sheet taken on the line li -ll of Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on the line !2 I2 of Figure 9, and

Figure 13 is an enlarged, end view of the fin.

Referring now more particularly to the drawpartly ing's wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates a support for the operating mechanism which isillustrated in the form of a table 1 supported on the corner legs 2.

Upstanding from this table and secured theretoare the posts 3, 3 which are oppositely arranged vided whose shaft has a sheave 9 fixed thereon aligned with the sheave 1 and a belt It operates over said sheaves and transmits'rotation from the former to the latter.

Fixed on the driving shaft 6 there is a spur gear wheel II which is in mesh with, and drives, a similar spur gear wheel Il -which is fixed on the crank shaft l3.

Upstanding from the table I and spaced apart and arranged behind the posts 3 are the posts l4, 14 having aligned bearings in which the shaft 13 is rotatably mounted.

Supportedon the upper ends of the posts I l there is a transverse plate I5 which is suitably secured to the posts I4.

Fixed on the outer ends of the shaft I3 are the circular heads I6, l6 whose outer end faces are formed with the dovetailed grooves 11, ll, extend ing transversely thereof.

Mounted in suitable bearings which are transversely aligned in the frame members 5 there is a shaft l'8and'fixed on opposite ends of this shaft are the ratchet wheels l9 and '20 whose teeth are pitched in the same direction. Fixed on the shaft I8 between the frame members 5 there is the lower sheet-perforating and feeding roller "2] which will be more specifically described later; also fixed on the shaft I8 there are the spur gears 22, 22 which are in mesh with and drive the corresponding spur gears 23, 23. These last mentioned. spur gears are'fixed on a transverse shaft 24 which is mounted to rotate in bearings in the blocks 25, '25 in the corresponding frame membars '5. These blocks are mounted for vertical movement in said frame members. Mounted on the frame members there is a transverse headmeters which is suitably secured to said frame members and secured to the upper ends of the blocks 25 are the guide rods 21, 21 which extend. upwardly through suitable bearings in the head plate 26. Surrounding said guide rods 21 and interposed between the respective blocks 25 and the head plate 26 are the coil springs 28, 28. Fixed on the shaft 24 between the frame members there is the upper sheet-perforating and feeding roller 29 which co-operates with the roller 2| and which will be hereinafter described. The roller 29 is held-yieldingly in co-operating relation with the roller 2| by means of the coil springs 28.

There are the dog-carrying levers 34, 31 which have bearings, at one end, on the shaft l8 adjacent the corresponding ratchet wheels I9, 20.

These levers 34, 3| have the ratchet engaging dogs 32, 33 pivoted thereto at their outer ends and the other ends of these dogs are held yieldingly against the margins of said ratchet wheels by the corresponding pressure springs 34, 35 which are anchored, at one end, to the corresponding levers 34, 3| and whose other ends press against the corresponding dogs 32, 33 to maintain them in operative relation with the corresponding ratchet Wheels I9, 20.

There are the connecting rods 36, 31 which are pivotally connected, at their upper ends, to the corresponding levers 3B, 31 and whose lower ends have bearings on the aligned wrist pins 38 and 39. These wrists pins have their inner ends formed into heads 4!], 41 which are dovetailed into the transverse grooves I1, [1 of the circular heads l6, l6. Accordingly as the shaft 13 is rotated the connecting rods 36, 31 will be re'ciprocated and the levers 36, 3| will be oscillated. As the levers 30, 3| are oscillated the dogs 32, 33 will be successively engaged with the teeth of the ratchet wheels 19, 2D and they will be intermittently rotated to rotate the shafts I8, 24 and the corregrliording sheet-perforating and feeding rollers Mounted on the transverse plate 15 there is a matrix 42 which is provided with the upstanding fluting, or folding, blades 43 which extend lengthwise with respect to the matrix but transversely with respect to the path of travel of the sheet to be fluted, or folded, and which are spaced a uniform distance apart. There are preferably four of these blades. 1

Above the matrix 42 there is a head 44 which has the depending blades 45 arranged in staggered relation with the blades 43 and adapted to intermesh with them. These blades 45 are provided with aligned, transverse slots 46, provided for a purpose to be hereinafter explained, and two of these slots are cut deeper than the others, these last mentioned slots being distinguished from the others by the numeral 46a. The purpose of the deep slots 46a will also be explained in connection with the explanation of the operation of the machine.

The head 44 is mounted within a correspondingly shaped recess 41 in the lower face of the crosshead 48 and the rear side of said recess 41 is enclosed by a removable plate 49. The crosshead 48 and plate 48 have the lower end slots '50 which are aligned with the extended slots 46a for a purpose to be later explained. The head 44 is attached to the upstanding rods 5i, 5! which are connected to the respective ends thereof and which extend up through suitable aligned bearings in the crosshead 48. On the upper ends of the rods 5% are secured the nut assemblies 52, 52 forming heads for said rods to limit the downward movement of the head 44 relative to the crosshead 48. Surrounding the rods 51 and interposed between the head 44 and internal, downwardly facing shoulders 53 in the crosshead 48 are the coil pressure springs as 54 normally tending to hold the head 44 in its lower position with respect to the crosshead 48.

Connected, at their upper ends, to the respective ends of the crosshead 48 and depending therefrom are the rods 55, 55. These rods work through the sleeve bearings 56, 56 which are mounted in the transverse plate 45. A transverse shaft 51 has its ends mounted to rotate in transversely aligned bearings in the lower ends of the rods 55 and there are suitable connecting rods 58, 58 which are connected, at one end, to the shaft 51 and whose other ends have hearings on the eccentric wrists E15, 54 of the shaft !3. Accordingly as the shaft i3 is rotated the crosshead 48 will be moved up and down and will move the head 44 with it.

(Jo-operating with the matrix blades 43 there is a table 64 which is slotted lengthwise to receive the blades 43, as shown in Figure 6. This table is mounted to slide vertically on the end posts El, El which are anchored, at their lower ends, to the matrix 4?; and work through end bearings in said table and whose upper ends have the enlarged heads 63 to limit the upward movement of the table. This table is seated on coil springs 64 which surround the corresponding rods 51 and are supported on the matrix 42. When in its upper position against the heads 63 the upper surface of the table will be flush with the upper margins of the matrix blades 43.

The mechanism hereinabove described and shown mounted on the plate 15 and shown more in detail in Figures 6 and 8 may be designated as a shaper, for fiuting, or folding, the sheet of ma terial into the final shape of the fin. In front of the shaper there is a table which is suitably secured to'the head plate 15 in any peferred manner and leading off from the free margin of the table there is a delivery track 66. Upstanding from the head plate 05 on each side of the table there are the standards 31, 61 whose upper ends are connected by a bar 68 and extending rearwardly from the bar 63 are the stripper fingers 69, 69 which are spaced above the table 45 and which are aligned with the slots 46a, 53.

Depending from the plate 15 approximately midway between the ends thereof there is a bracket 10 and pivoted to the lower end of said bracket there is a lever 1 I. This lever is pivoted at a point intermediate its ends. There is a pull spring 12 connected, at one end, to one end of said lever and, at its other end, it is connected to an anchor 13 carried by the forward margin of the plate I5. One end of a link 14 is pivoted to the other end of the lever 11 and the other end of the link 14 has a pivotal connection with the jaw 15 which, in turn, has its lower end pivoted adjacent the rear margin of the matrix 42. The operative face of this jaw 15 has the spaced longitudinal grooves 16 the purpose of which will be explained in connection with the explanation of the operation of the machine. The lever 1| is arranged beneath the rod 51 and is perpendicular thereto and as said rod 51 moves downwardly and just before it reaches the limit of its downward movement it will engage one end of the lever 1! and will force the link 14 upwardly thus moving the jaw 15 into vertical, or operative, position and also placing the spring 12 under tension and when the rod 51 moves upwardly the spring 12 will operate to retract the yoke 89.

vof material being fed to the machine.

gnaw

iaw'i'ls'in to horizontal positionas shown inFi urefi.

Tl'pstanding from the table: I, atthe rear of the machine,therearetlie su orting braokets'll, 11 rovidedito support'theroll of sheet material to beifo'r'me'd into radiatorfins'. This material will usuall be formed of copper or other similar, relatively soft, material which maybe readily shaped as desired. The material maybe of any desired width and the brackets 11' are adjustable accordiug'ly'.

Fastened totherear side of tlie-irame-niembers Sthere is a horizontal receiving table 19 and'at its rear end it supports a guide-roller -89 over which the material assesasied to themaohine. The strip of materialzpasses along'theupper surface of the table v19' "andthrough a transverse receiving opening 8| inthetransverse brace '82 connecting the frame inemberst at t eir rear side. "The co operating surface "of the sheetperforating and feedinglrollers- 2 I ,ie ai-e parallel with and on the same horizontal level as the receiving opening "a: and also on approximately the sameihori'zontal level as the upper surface of the table "'60 when. said table is inits elevated position. i

As will be noted from irlspectionof Figure 2 the u per surface of th'e'table '19 is provided with the longitudinal grooves T83. These grooves are providedto receive the lower margins of the side plates 84,84 which serve as guides for the strip of material passing through the machine. This is best shownin Fignresil, 2 and 3. In the upper sur'faceof the delivery table65 there are similar longitudinal grooves .as 85 to receive the side delivery track 66. It is obvious that the guide plates33, 85 may be adjusted'toward andfrom each other depending on the width of the strip of material passing along thetable i9, 65.

Between the side plates 84 there is a pressure plate 8'! which is co-exte'nsive, in'lengtlnwith the length oithe'table l9 and which overliesthe strip of material passing through the machine.

"Upstandihg from the table "19 on opposite sides of the material track there are the supporting posts 88, '83 whose upper ends support a cross This cross yoke has a'c'entral, longitudinal slot 90 and a rod 9! passes downwardly through said slot and its lower end has an oval head '52 which bears against said pressure plate 81'. 'Surroundingsaid rod and interposed between said head and the yoke'there is a coil pressure spring 93 which applies pressure't'o the plat-e8! and holds it yieldingly against the strip The 'rod 9! ha/S a grip member 94 at itsupperend for releasing the head 92 from the late and the outer end of said plate is provided with a handle 85 whereby the pressureplate may be conveniently handled.

Referring now more specifically to the sheet- ,perforating and feeding .rollers 2|, 29, it will be noted that they are each provided with longitudi'nal series of transversely elongated shearing teeth as 96, i l. The teeth of'the series "96 are pitched in a dire'ction'the oposite'of that of the teeth 9'! oi the adjacent series,:itbeing understood that these series of teeth are alternately arranged on each roller. teeth 95 of one roller cooperates, with shear like effect, with the oppositely pitched teeth-"s1 of theother roller so that as "the strip of metal passes between the be formed with" longitudinal rows of longitudinal slitsas 99with deflectors as 00, I 0 I thrown out on each side of the alternate slits or "each row, asxshown 'in Figure 12, and'de'flectors "I2, I03 thrown 'outonea'chsi'de of'the other slits of each row as-shown inFigure 1-1, the deflectors I00, Ill! being'pitched' in opposite directions and likewise the deflectors 102, I03, being also pitched'in opposite "directions. I

In-operation the roll "18- of material to be'slitted is mounted-between the supporting brackets 11, as shown in "Figures 1, 2 and 3 and the free end ofthe material is fed betweenthe sheet-perforat ing'and feeding rollers 2|, 29, as indicated in Figure l and'as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, and as the stripof material passes between said rollers it is slitted-and the deflectors are thrown out on opposite sides of the slits, as indicated in Figures 9to 12, inclusive, and the slitted material passes 'on through the shaper. The sheet-perforating and feeding rollers are rotated intermittently through connecting rods 36, 31 and the ratchet wheels I9, 28 and dogs 32, 33 associated therewith. It'is to be noted that the wrist pins 38, 39 maybe adjusted radially relative to the heads [6 and fixed at any desired point of adjustment so as to regulate-the throw of the connecting rods 36, 31. It is contemplated that the con necting rod 35'will have a'longer throw, or stroke, than the connecting rod 31 and corresponding dogs are so arranged relative to the teeth of the corresponding ratchet wheels I9, "20 that the ratchet wheel i9 and the feed rollers will be rotated throughaangle with each partial rotation of the ratchet wheel 19 and the ratchet wheel 2!! and the feed rollers will be rotated through a 15 angle with each partial rotation of the ratchet wheel 2 B, the dogs and corresponding ratchet wheels being so adjusted'that when one dog is operating to'rotate its ratchet wheel sheet-like material between said downwardly directed folding blade the other dog will be moving idly.

As the perforated strip passes through the shaper it will-be fluted, or folded, into the form shown in Figure 8, in the following manner. As the machine operates to *per'forate the sheet of material the crosshead'lB will'be reciprocated by meansof the connecting rods 58. As it moves downwardly the'head '44 and 'the iluti'ng blades d5 depending therefrom will move in advance of the crosshead andsaid blades will engage the material on the table 60 and will force said material and tabledownwardly'into the position shown in Figure '8 thus "fluting, or folding, the interfitting blades. As the'head 44 moves downwardlythe slots 46a therein will receive the stripper fingers 59. The downward'movement of the head 4 is thus arrested but -the crossnea'd dg continuesto move on downwardly compressing the springs 54 and the-slot fi fl'in the crosshead ld receiving: said 'Whfle. this additional downward movement oft-he crosshead-m is taking place the sheet-perforating and feeding rollers willbo rotated 45,as hereinabove explained, so as to'feed sufficient of the sheet material through the feed-rollers'to provide the required amount of slack in the sheet between the feeding rollers and the shaper,-as indicated .in dotted lines in Figure 6, and the crosshead t48i's'providediwith a Hi l which moves vdown closelyialongsidelthe adjacent blade to of the matrix, as clearly illustrated inxFigure 8, and. simultaneous with such-movement the cross-area 5 will:have aptuatedtho-lever l lwhich will operate. throueh.-:tne-;link 1-4- to move thejaw "'15 upwardly" into verticalwpcsition, as shown :in

Figure 8, to complete the fold about the blade I04 and thus take up said slack. This arrangement for providing slack material is essential as otherwise the tension on the sheet of material in making a fold would cause the strip to separate. When the fold is completed about the fluting blade I04 the crosshead 48 is elevated through the operation of the connecting rods 58 and upon engagement of the cross head 48 with the heads 52 on the rods 5| the head M and blades 45 carried thereby will be elevated and the springs 64 will elevate the table 69 so as to clear the fluted section of the material from blades 453. Should this fluted section cling to the blades 45 it will be stripped therefrom by the stripper fingers 58 and will then be supported on the table 6E] and upon the next succeeding partial rotation of the feeding rollers the material will be advanced a distance equal to a 15 rotation of said feeding rollers since the next succeeding rotation will be effected through the connecting rod 31, the dog 33 and the ratchet wheel 2!]. The fluted section will thus be moved transversely across the table a distance equal to the distance between the adjacent matrix spaces of the matrix 42 and upon the next downward movement of the head i t the last mentioned completed fold will be forced down into the first matrix space between the blades 43 and the three last preceding folds will be forced down into the other matrix spaces and thereupon another fold will be made as hereinabove explained and so on. The fluted, or folded, fin after leaving the shaper passes over the table 65 between the guide plates 85 and thence onto the delivery track 65 for delivery.

It should be noted that the operative face of ,iaw 3'5 is provided with the grooves iii and the folding blade m4 has the slots its opposite said grooves so that during the folding operation the deflectors Hi0, NH and IE2, Hit may register with these grooves and slots and not be pressed back into the plane of the sheet 98 while the fold is being made. It is to be further noted that the blades 45 are provided with slots 46 and the blades 43 are provided with slots which register with the slots 46 and these slots are positioned so as to receive the corresponding deflectors me, Hi! and 102, N13 during the passage of the fin through the shaper so that the deflectors will not be pressed back into the plane of the sheet at during the fluting, or folding, process.

It is to be understood that the fins, when completed by the machine, will be assembled with the water circulating tubes of radiator cores.

The radiators referred to are to be used in con- Y nection with internal combustion motors such as the motors of motor vehicles and the flutes of the fins will extend fore and aft thus forming air channels. It is very important that the fins be louvered, that is slitted with deflectors on opposite sides of the slits. These deflectors deflect part of the air from flute to flute causing a diagonal cross current as indicated by the diagonal line shown on Figure 9. These cross currents will intercept the currents flowing through the flutes and will retard the air flow and cause a turbulence of air within the radiator core thus giving a better cooling eifect.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for forming fins for radiator cores comprising, co-operating feed rollers arranged to receive a strip of metal between them, means for rotating the rollers to feed the strip, co-operating shear teeth on the rollers effective to form transverse series of perforations in the strip, relatively reciprocable members between which the strip is fed by the rollers, said members having co-acting parts which fold the strip between the series of perforations to form flutes in the strip, said co-acting parts including an independently operable jaw arranged to initially form each fold.

2. A machine for forming fins for radiator cores comprising, co-operating feed rollers arranged to receive a strip of metal between them, means for rotating the rollers to advance the strip, longitudinal series of elongated shearing teeth on each roller the teeth of one roller being arranged to co-operate with the teeth of the other roller with shear-like effect to form transverse series of slits through the strip, said teeth being shaped to throw out, from the material of the strip, deflectors on opposite sides of each slit, the deflectors of each slit being pitched in 0pposite directions, relatively reciprocable members between which the strip is fed by the rollers, said members having co-acting parts which fold the strip between the series of slits to form transverse flutes in the strip.

3. A machine for forming fins for radiator cores comprising, co-operating feed rollers arranged to receive a strip of metal between them, means for rotating the rollers to advance the strip, longitudinal series of shearing teeth on each roller the teeth of one roller being arranged to co-operate with the teeth of the other roller to form transverse series of slits through the strip, said teeth of one series being arranged adjacent the corresponding teeth of the other series to form pairs of teeth which are reversely pitched to throw out, from the material of the strip, deflectors on opposite sides of each slit, the deflectors of each slit being pitched in opposite directions, relatively reciprocable members between which the strip is fed by the rollers, said members having co-acting parts which fold the strip between the series of slits to form transverse flutes in the strip, said co-acting parts having relief spaces to receive the deflectors during the folding operation.

l. A machine for forming fins for radiator cores comprising, a shaper including a matrix and a reciprocable member arranged to receive a strip of material between them, said matrix and reciprocable member having co-acting parts which operate on the strip between them to form the strip into folds strip advancing means operable intermittently to, alternately, create slack in the advancing strip to provide slack material for the initial folding operations and to, thereafter, advance the folded strip through the shaper.

5. A machine for forming folds in a strip of material comprising, relatively reciprocable members having co-operating elements movable into active and inactive positions to successively form folds in the material as the strip is advanced between the members, shaping means on the reciprocable members arranged to receive the previously formed folds as the strip is advanced, means for relatively reciprocating said members to move the shaping means into active or released positions, means for intermittently advancing the strip to advance the folds through the shaping means when the shaping means are in released position and said advancing means being operable to create slack in the advancing strip, when said shaping means are in active position, to provide slack material for the next succeeding fold.

6. A machine for forming folds in a strip of thin material comprising, relatively reciprocable members having co-operating elements movable into active and inactive positions to successively form folds in the material as the strip is advanced, one of said elements being a pivotally mounted jaw, means causing movement of said elements in unison into said active and inactive positions, shaping means on the reciprocable members arranged to receive the previously formed folds as the strip is advanced, means for intermittently advancing the strip to advance the folds through the shaping means when the shaping means are in released, or inactive, position and said advancing means being timed to create slack in the advancing strip, when said shaping means are in active position, to provide slack material for the next succeeding fold.

PALO R. DANIEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

